Sighting device for a rifle grenade



A ril 6, 1965 B. B410; 3,176,616

SIGHTING DEVICE FOR 1; RIFLE GRENADE Filed Dec. 17, 1962 III/I/III/IJ(fl/IIIII/I/II/III I II/II/IIIIIII/ /.1.7////////| i BORIS BA 7'00INVENTOR;

BY 4 W5, ma M United States Patent 3,176,616 SIGHTING DEVICE FOR A RIFLEGRENADE N Boris Baton, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Anstalt fur dieEntwicklung von Ertindungen und gewerbhchen Anwendungen Energa, Vaduz,Liechtenstein Filed Dec. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 245,235 Claims priority,application Switzerland, Dec. 23, 1961, 14,848/61 5 Claims. (Cl.10265.2)

This invention relates to an aiming or sighting device for a riflegrenade.

Rifle grenades are generally fired by means of a firing sleeve fitted atthe end of the barrel of the weapon and having a sight or aiming gridprovided with reference marks.

Firing by means of the same weapon, of grenades of dilferent types(anti-tank, anti-personnel, smoke-producing, and so on), the respectiveweight, shape and initial speed of which are often diflerent, requiresthe use of a sight provided with several series of references whichoften make reading confused, thus increasing the risk of error.

It has already been proposed to overcome this difliculty by providingeach grenade with a suitable removable sight which is released when theshot is fired. Before firing, this sight is housed either in the packingof the grenade or in the tail of the latter. The same is true of thefiring cartridge, which is generally accommodated before firing in thetail of grenade or on a plug obturating the latter.

One of the main disadvantages of these removable sights is theirpositioning, which calls for an additional operation on the part of themarksman (which is often difiicult in cold weather) and a loss of timewhich substantially reduces the speed of firing.

According to the present invention there is provided a sighting devicefor a rifle grenade provided with a tail fin structure, wherein thedevice comprises a support which is adapted to be temporarily fixed tothe said fin structure and which carries a sight which is movable inrelation to the said support between a storage position and an aimingposition, the said support also comprising means for holding a firingcartridge.

Various technical advantages arise from this device, among which shouldbe mentioned the simplification of handling by the marksman, who hasonly one operation to carry out; the placing of the movable sight in thesighting position, the cartridge being extracted simultaneously and bythe same movement.

The support includes two guides in which the sight is adapted to slideperpendicularly to the axis of the grenade.

The movable sight preferably has a stud which, when the sight is movedtowards its aiming position, bears against the cartridge in order tofree it from the cartridgeholding means.

In the storage position the said sight may at least partly obturate theend of the tail of the grenade, so that inrthis position the marksmancould not inadvertently place the grenade on its sleeve without havingplaced the sight in the aiming position.

Furthermore the sight when in the storage position may hold in place aplug obturating the tail of the grenade.

Preferably the length of the movable sight is substantially equal to thediameter of the fin structure, so that the above-described sightingdevice does not exceed the dimensions of the fin structure when thegrenade is stored in its packing.

In order to enable the invention to be more readily ice understood,reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate diagrammatically and by way of example one embodimentthereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a rear end view of a rifle grenade having a sighting devicewhich is shown in a storage position,

FIGURE 2 is a side view showing the device in the same position as inFIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the device in the aimingposition,

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line IVIV in FIG- URE 3,

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the device in the storage position, separatedfrom the fin structure, and

FIGURE 6 is a partial view in axial section corresponding to FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown the fin structure of arifle grenade carrying a sighting device. The circular fin structure 2comprises a central sleeve 11 adapted to be fitted to the tail 12 of thegrenade. The fin structure includes a plurality of radial stabilizingfins 13. A support 1 is slidably and removably attached to one of saidfins by feet 3, this support 1 being provided with guides 4 in which amovable sight 5 is adapted to slide. The support 1 also comprises a clip6 adapted to hold a blank cartridge 7 intended for firing the grenade.

In the storage position illustrated in FIGURES l and 2, the movablesight 5, which is of a length substantially equal to the diameter of thefin structure 2, is situated behind and opposite the said fin structure,while the fixing means or clip 6 holds the firing cartridge 7 whichbears against a stud 8 provided on the sight 5.

In order to bring the sight into the aiming position, a curved end stop9 of the sight is pushed so as to cause it to slide in the guides 4until the end 9 strikes against the lower guides 4 on the support 1.

During this movement, the stud 8 bears against the end of the cartridge7 and releases it from the clip 6, which enables the marksman to seizeit easily. It is to be observed that the grenade cannot be introducedinto the rifle barrel unless the sight is in the aiming position, sothat forgetfulness or improper positioning of the sight is thus avoided.

As shown in FIGURE 6, a plug 10 closes the tail of the grenade in orderto prevent the penetration of any foreign bodies during transport andhandling, the plug 10 being simply placed and not forced into the tailof the grenade and being held in place by the sight 5 so that it willfall out of its own accord when the sight is placed in the aimingposition.

When the grenade is fired, the entire device is detached from the finstructure through its own inertia, and the thrust of the air against thesight 5.

What I claim is:

1. A sighting device for a rifle grenade having a tubular tail ending ina radially disposed fin, said device comprising a support detachablyheld by said fin, guiding means on said support and a movable sightslidable radially in said guiding means and into operating position.

2. A sighting device for a rifle grenade having a tubular tail ending ina radially disposed fin, said device comprising a support detachablyheld by said fin, guiding means on said support, a movable sightslidable radially in said guiding means and a stop on the rear end ofthe sight to engage the guiding means when in operating position.

3. A sighting device for a rifle grenade having a tubular tail ending ina radially disposed fin, said device comprising a support detachablyheld by said fin, guiding means on said support, a cartridge clip onsaid guiding means and a movable sight slidable radially in said guidingmeans and into operating position.

4. A sighting device for a rifie grenade having a tubular tail ending ina radially disposed fin, said device comprising a support detachablyheld by said fin, guiding means or said support, a cartridge clip onsaid guiding means, a movable sight slidable radially in said guidingmeans, and a stud on the sight for ejecting a cartridge from the clip.

5. A sighting device for a rifle grenade having a tubular tail ending ina circular fin structure having a radially disposed fin, said devicecomprising a support detachably held by said fin, guiding means on saidsupport and a movable sight substantially as long as the diameter of thefin structure and slidable radially in said guiding means across thetubular tail and into operating position.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

10 FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Examiner.

1. A SIGHTING DEVICE FOR A RIFFLE GRENADE HAVING A TUBULAR TAIL ENDINGIN A RADIALLY DISPOSED FIN, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT DETACHABLYHELD BY SAID FIN, GUIDING MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT AND A MOVABLE SIGHTSLIDABLE RADIALLY IN SAID GUIDING MEANS AND INTO OPERATING POSITION.